The Detroit Tiger’s make the MLB Playoff’s
For the first time in more almost 10 years the Detroit Tiger’s have made it to the post season, they won the AL Wild Card spot. They will take on the New Yankee’s today and hopefully they will not lose in the first round. The Tiger’s have never gone into the playoffs as a wild card team in their history and just maybe they can make it World series again.
Unlike the Yankee’s, the Detroit Tiger’s don’t have a pitching staff filled wqith the best pitchers money can buy, but they do have a lot of talented pitchers that were able to win games when they needed to. Our pitching staff is lead by Justin Verlander, a talented young pitcher that proved that he was a really good pitcher and veteran Kenny Roger’s was a great acquistion last off season, he gave the pitching staff the experience player they needed to make them all better as a whole. Both Verlander and Roger’s ended the season with 17 wins and 8 and 9 losses, respectively. Jeremy Bonderman, once again led the Tiger pitchers in strikeouts with 202 and he managed to finish the season with a 14-8 record. The other Tiger pitcher with more than 10 wins, was Nate Robertson (13-13), despite his rough season, manager Jim Leyland is giving him the honor of being the playoff opening starter against the New Yankee’s.
The Tiger’s had a rough second half of the season and they were edged out of the Division lead on the last day of the season by the Minnesota Twin’s, but that doesn’t mean they have the desire to prove that this season wasn’t a fluke and that they can regain the fire that they had in the first half of the season. They are looking to bring another World Series title back to Motown and add it to the recent NBA title that the Detroit Piston brought home to the Motor City.
It will be up to out big hitters to carry us through against some of the top pitchers in baseball, the Yankee’s owner has assembled the best pitchers he could buy and they didn’t let him down. I can only hope that all of our hitters can continue to hit well and play strong on defense and just play smart baseball. Our hitter’s are led by Carlos Guillen, Ivan Rodriguez and Magglio Ordonez, all three nearly finished the season averaging .300 (Ordonez just missed with a .298). Our power hitters; Curtis Monroe,Brandon Inge and Marcus Thames combined for 81 homeruns and 215 RBI’s for the season.
As a lifetime Detroit Tiger’s fan, I am a bit disappointed that we didn’t close the deal and win the Central Division, but I will take the Wild Card. Seeing that we haven’t been there in over 10 years, I will not complain about having to settle for second best in the Central Division.
New manager Jim Leyland has to be given the Manager of the Year title this year and if he doesn’t it will be a travesty. He has led a team that lost its focus and ability to win and set them on a course to possible greatness in just one season. The Tigers are only three seasons removed from a 119 loss season (2003) and today they find themselves in playoff’s and a season that had them winning 95 games.
I know the first round against the Yankee’s is a tough draw for the Tiger’s, but it will make them strongers as a team anf manager Jim Leyland will do his best to guide them to victory and the American Penant.
